139 episodes

Real estate is undoubtedly one of the most profitable and thriving industries out there - especially if you are looking to achieve financial independence! It offers a wide variety of ways to invest actively and passively. If you are new to real estate investing and FI, and seek the proper guidance from experts, you are in the right place. 
 
Welcome to Invest2FI, hosted by Craig Curelop and Ali Garced. In this series, we talk with real-life house hackers, real estate (and other!) investors and real people on a mission to become financially independent. 
 
Not everybody enjoys working a 9-5 job. No one wants to be stuck in analysis-paralysis feeling unsure how to finally jump into real estate. We teach you how to exit the rat race and work on living the life you want. 
 
This is the show for beginners and learners who want to achieve financial freedom through real estate. Whether you want to increase your savings, optimize your expenses, or build a prospering income source, we have helpful solutions. We talk all the tips and tricks for making your very first purchase. We discuss how you can build your skills on this initial transaction to close better deals in the future. 
 
This is also a show for techie types who are passionate about crunching numbers and the digital side of operating business and investments. If you are drawn to financial independence, we'll enlighten you with grounded, practical strategies for achieving real estate success. 
 
Each of our guests offers creative and practical strategies to begin a real estate investing career. They break down every single investing tactic you can emulate yourself. Receive essential lessons from their experiences as they open up about their real estate journey. They reflect on the moments when they got lucky or proved their intelligence and offer their fair share of “horror” stories too. Guests embrace their vulnerabilities and speak about challenges and failures, explaining how to overcome or avoid them. 
 
There are no better people to host this podcast than Craig and Ali. They are living testaments of what you should aspire to be in this industry. Achieving financial independence in their twenties, they take pride in their first-hand experiences through every facet of real estate. Craig and Ali are both successful realtors who provide a glimpse of their work to listeners. 
 
Craig specializes in a unique style of real estate investing called house hacking. He literally wrote the book on it: The House Hacking Strategy. This method purchases multi-unit properties and rents them out by portion. Craig is also the lead broker of The FI Team. 
 
Ali separated from her duty as a Special Agent in the Military as a  millionaire at 31. She is seasoned at offering advice to those looking to leave a W2 for a career in real estate, financing with VA loans and achieving financial independence through real estate investing. 
 
If you are stuck in an unfulfilling corporate job, let this show bring you far more rewarding opportunities. Craig and Ali are your guides to making a major career shift and becoming part of the exciting world of real estate. Do not feel discouraged by the towering paperwork and complex principles. Equip yourself with the right knowledge and strategies, and you are good to go! 
 
Whether you are starting an active or passive venture, the key in real estate is proper training and a constant desire for growth. Invest2FI fortifies your confidence and provides you with a smooth, clear path to success. 
 
Listen to the podcast today at 

INVEST2FI Craig Curelop & Ali Garced

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 82 Ratings

Real estate is undoubtedly one of the most profitable and thriving industries out there - especially if you are looking to achieve financial independence! It offers a wide variety of ways to invest actively and passively. If you are new to real estate investing and FI, and seek the proper guidance from experts, you are in the right place. 
 
Welcome to Invest2FI, hosted by Craig Curelop and Ali Garced. In this series, we talk with real-life house hackers, real estate (and other!) investors and real people on a mission to become financially independent. 
 
Not everybody enjoys working a 9-5 job. No one wants to be stuck in analysis-paralysis feeling unsure how to finally jump into real estate. We teach you how to exit the rat race and work on living the life you want. 
 
This is the show for beginners and learners who want to achieve financial freedom through real estate. Whether you want to increase your savings, optimize your expenses, or build a prospering income source, we have helpful solutions. We talk all the tips and tricks for making your very first purchase. We discuss how you can build your skills on this initial transaction to close better deals in the future. 
 
This is also a show for techie types who are passionate about crunching numbers and the digital side of operating business and investments. If you are drawn to financial independence, we'll enlighten you with grounded, practical strategies for achieving real estate success. 
 
Each of our guests offers creative and practical strategies to begin a real estate investing career. They break down every single investing tactic you can emulate yourself. Receive essential lessons from their experiences as they open up about their real estate journey. They reflect on the moments when they got lucky or proved their intelligence and offer their fair share of “horror” stories too. Guests embrace their vulnerabilities and speak about challenges and failures, explaining how to overcome or avoid them. 
 
There are no better people to host this podcast than Craig and Ali. They are living testaments of what you should aspire to be in this industry. Achieving financial independence in their twenties, they take pride in their first-hand experiences through every facet of real estate. Craig and Ali are both successful realtors who provide a glimpse of their work to listeners. 
 
Craig specializes in a unique style of real estate investing called house hacking. He literally wrote the book on it: The House Hacking Strategy. This method purchases multi-unit properties and rents them out by portion. Craig is also the lead broker of The FI Team. 
 
Ali separated from her duty as a Special Agent in the Military as a  millionaire at 31. She is seasoned at offering advice to those looking to leave a W2 for a career in real estate, financing with VA loans and achieving financial independence through real estate investing. 
 
If you are stuck in an unfulfilling corporate job, let this show bring you far more rewarding opportunities. Craig and Ali are your guides to making a major career shift and becoming part of the exciting world of real estate. Do not feel discouraged by the towering paperwork and complex principles. Equip yourself with the right knowledge and strategies, and you are good to go! 
 
Whether you are starting an active or passive venture, the key in real estate is proper training and a constant desire for growth. Invest2FI fortifies your confidence and provides you with a smooth, clear path to success. 
 
Listen to the podcast today at 

    Episode 139 - Paving the Path to Real Estate Success: Insights from a Top 2% Realtor With Vince Crane

    Episode 139 - Paving the Path to Real Estate Success: Insights from a Top 2% Realtor With Vince Crane

    When achieving financial independence, there’s no quicker way than diving into real estate investing. In this episode, Vince Crane sits down with us to discuss how he went from enduring a W2 job to making $300,000 a year through real estate! 
    As a Top 2% realtor, Vince shares how his drive to make genuine connections and to learn from high-performing investors cemented his path to financial independence. By growing his monthly local meet-ups in Atlanta to up to 3,000 participants and committing to making personal phone calls to his leads, Vince discovered the real secrets to becoming a successful real estate agent.  

    So if you’re ready to get serious about financial independence, join us as we discuss how anyone can become a value-adding realtor and maximize the power of growing an extensive network. This episode is a goldmine for valuable insights and practical investment advice for anyone just starting! 


    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [2:38] Navigating the Current Real Estate Market  
    [7:50] How Vince Set Himself Up For Success In His Mid-20s 
    [12:10] Avoiding Common Mistakes When Starting Partnerships 
    [15:35] The Secrets of Successful Real Estate Agents 
    [17:05] Becoming a Value-Adding Realtor: Vince's Transformation 
    [24:25] How Vince Took Over the Largest BiggerPockets Meet-up 
    [31:50] Why Organizing Local Meet-ups Can Be a Gamechanger 
    [39:45] What Sets Apart Successful Investors in Real Estate 
    [43:43] Understanding the Different Paths to Financial Independence 
    [49:55] Maximizing Your Credit Card to Travel the Globe 
    [52:30] How Vince Reads Five Books at a Time 
    [54:05] Life-Changing Advice for Every Investor 


    HOSTS 
    Craig Curelop   
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
    📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze   

    Zeona McIntyre   
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/zeonamcintyre   
    📕 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/30-day-stay   
    🏡 Work with me: www.calendly.com/Zeona   

    GUEST
    Vince Crane
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/vincetagram26/
    📱Personal Number: 3368703981


       🔗 Affiliate Links   

    Don’t miss out on resources of great value for real estate starters. Visit FITeam’s website!

    Check out Vince’s recommendations here:
    The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It's Not About the Money It's About Being the Best You Can Be by Gary Keller Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times by Gary KellerThe Art of Exceptional Living: Your Guide to Gaining Wealth, Enjoying Happiness, and Achieving Unstoppable Daily Progress by Jim RohnMeditations by Marcus Aurelius 

    • 1 hr
    Episode 138 - Unlocking Real Estate Success With Connor Anderson

    Episode 138 - Unlocking Real Estate Success With Connor Anderson

     If you’re considering jumping to real estate, there’s no better time than now. Today, we’re so excited to hear from Connor Anderson, who tells us how he unlocked the secrets of real estate success and financial independence. As a real estate agent and investor, Connor is passionate about helping countless clients buy their first properties. In this episode, he shares how he hustled into buying his very first property -- and why it was the best decision of his life!  
     Join us as we talk about the financial side of investing: building capital, balancing debt-income ratios, and making the purchase price possible. Connor also delves into practical and insightful advice from his experience in the industry, such as landing great off-market deals and moving into new markets, so if you’re keen on hearing how anyone can go from having 0 experience to becoming a highly successful investor and real estate agent, listen to it right here on today’s episode of Invest2FI! 
     
    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [3:58] Connor’s Introduction to Real Estate  
    [5:39] Securing Capital for the First House Hack  
    [8:17] Maximizing Debt-Income Ratios For Best Purchase Price  
    [9:48] His First Deal  
    [16:22] Moving Into A Property In Michigan  
    [18:40] Should You Rent to Friends? 
    [21:43] Connor’s Recent Duplex Property  
    [23:27] Finding Gems in Off-Market Deals  
    [27:36] Dealing with Property Repairs  
    [29:35] The Best Thing About Being A Real-Estate Agent  
    [31:30] Paying off Debt ASAP vs. Investing: What Comes First?  
    [33:04] Essential Advice for Aspiring Investors 
       
    HOSTS
    Craig Curelop   
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
    📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze   

    Ali Garced
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/
    📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced 
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/
    🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/  
     
    GUESTS[
    Connor Anderson
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/connortanderson/ 
    📱Business Number: 616-648-6353


    🔗 Affiliate Links  
    1.     Don’t miss out on resources of great value for real estate starters. Visit FITeam’s website! —https://www.thefiteam.com/  
    2.     Check out Connor’s recommendations here:
    The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg - https://a.co/d/4QYyqmt 

    • 39 min
    Episode 137 - Mastering the Art of Building Homes for Airbnb With Dan Bourdeau

    Episode 137 - Mastering the Art of Building Homes for Airbnb With Dan Bourdeau

    It’s time to finally take control of your financial future! With the unlimited earning potential of Airbnb properties, we wanted to sit down with experienced investor and Airbnb manager, Dan Boudeau. Dan has cracked the code to building the perfect short-term rental, and he’s made it his mission to coach clients on how they can acquire and manage their own profitable rentals with as little pain as possible! 
    Join us as we sit down with Dan and discuss his practical advice on learning how to identify great deals through data, optimizing new builds for Airbnb rentals, and automating Airbnb management on the fly. Finding the right market is also a common pain point among investors, so we wanted to talk about how exactly to do that for your next deal and how to actually build those strong local networks from scratch.  
     
    For any investor interested in breaking into the Airbnb and short-term rental industry, this episode is jam-packed with must-hear insights from Dan’s experience that you definitely don’t want to miss! 


    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [3:21]  Dan’s Introduction To Financial Independence in 2019 
    [6:20] Turning His Home Into an Airbnb 
    [8:10] Crunching Dan’s Numbers to Finance Deals 
    [12:20] Tackling Airbnb Cleaning Fees 
    [13:33] Spilling the Beans on Airbnb Costs and Revenue 
    [16:30] Finding the Perfect Deals 
    [21:17] The Secret to Finding Golden Locations 
    [23:43] Learning How to Analyze Data  
    [25:56] A Walkthrough to Gettiing New Builds For Airbnb 
    [32:34] What Dan’s Portfolio Looks Like -- And What’s to Come 
    [34:36] Make Your Life 100X Easier by Automating Airbnb Management 
    [37:27] Calculating Dan’s Passive Income Per Month
    [38:49] On Becoming Recession-Proof 
    [42:24] The Benefits of Direct Bookings 
    [43:24] Must-Hear Tips For Every Investor 
     
    HOSTS   
    Craig Curelop   
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
    📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze   

    Ali Garced
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/ 
    📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced 
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/ 
    🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/  


    GUEST
    Dan Bourdeau
    🖥 Website: https://vivala.rent/  
        
    🔗 Affiliate Links   
    Don’t miss out on resources of great value for real estate starters. Visit FITeam’s website! — https://www.thefiteam.com/   Check out Dan’s recommendations here:
    Built To Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow - https://a.co/d/hTUBMWR  

    • 50 min
    Episode 136 - Hitting The 1000-Unit Mark with Jered Sturm

    Episode 136 - Hitting The 1000-Unit Mark with Jered Sturm

    At the age of 18, Jered Sturm Is the co-founder of SNS Capital group; Jered is passionate about helping investors passively grow their wealth and even retire from their day jobs. Join us as Craig and Ali learn all about Jered’s humble beginnings and how his steady and consistent progress has brought him to great heights today.  
    So if you’re serious about fast-tracking your real estate investing journey, this episode comes with must-hear advice from someone with over 15 years of experience and 1000 units under his belt! Tune in to learn how to organically land deals, build highly successful partnerships, and the dos and don’ts of raising capital. We also dive into Jered’s business model and portfolio for any newbie interested in learning more about the craft. Thanks to his wealth of experience, Jered is committed to providing financial and real estate education to help people achieve financial independence.  

    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [4:25] Jered’s Early Start 
    [9:45] The First Deal 15 Years Ago 
    [13:48] Overcoming External Uncertainty 
    [15:16] Landing Deals in Luxury Markets Without Marketing 
    [16:30] How to Pursue Successful Partnerships 
    [18:00] Diving Into Jered’s Business Model 
    [19:47] How Jered Moved From Single-Family Homes to 1000 Units 
    [21:38] The Key to Raising Capital 
    [23:25] Must-Hear Lesson for Investors  
    [29:30] Breaking Down the Real Estate Cycle 
    [32:00] Initiating Strong Relationships With Brokers 
    [36:50] How to Identify Good or Bad Deals 
    [39:30] Understanding IRRs and Underwriting 
    [43:10] The Plan Moving Forward 
    [50:25] Jered’s Best Piece of Advice 

    HOSTS  
    Craig Curelop 
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy 
    📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy 
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze  
     Ali Garced
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/
    📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/
    🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/

    GUEST
    Jered Sturm
    🖥 Website: https://www.snscapitalgroup.com/
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snscapitalgroup/

    🔗 Affiliate Links   
    Don’t miss out on resources of great value for real estate starters. Visit FITeam’s website! — https://www.thefiteam.com/   Check out Jered’s Audible recommendations here: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor  - https://www.audible.com/pd/Breath-Audiobook/0593211510  Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dream by Matthew Walker - https://www.audible.com/pd/Why-We-Sleep-Audiobook/B0752ZQR33 

    • 54 min
    Episode 135 - The Power of Saying Yes with Chad Rocke

    Episode 135 - The Power of Saying Yes with Chad Rocke

    In this episode, we’re thrilled to interview one of our very own, FI Team lead agent, Chad Rocke. Since his start in 2015, Chad has been a passionate advocate about escaping the rat race and maximizing your time to achieve financial independence. His unique perspectives on portfolio building have helped countless clients to retire early and passively build incredible wealth.

    So if you’re interested in getting your start in the world of real estate, this story is sure to inspire you to take action as soon as you can! Stay tuned to hear about how Chad began investing without relying on educational resources… and still made it big! From everything about, becoming a property manager, dealing with problematic tenants, and building an efficient team, this episode is jampacked with must-hear advice for both beginners and long-time investors. We also dive into Chad’s experiences with the arbitrage model, his current Nomad Strategy, and the power of saying YES!

    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [1:50] Unpacking The Shred Method (Maximizing Your HELOC)
    [6:05] How Chad Accidentally Learned How to House Hack on His Own
    [10:55] Dealing With Conflict Among Tenants
    [14:00] How to Earn More and Work Less as a Property Manager
    [15:45] Hiring and Vetting Local Hires
    [19:20] Handling a Death on a Property
    [23:45] Successfully Escaping the W2 With Chad
    [30:00] The Right Mindset for Starting in Real Estate
    [37:05] On Planning Versus Action
    [39:15] Diving Into Short-Term Rentals and New Markets
    [45:00] Avoid These Mistakes In Partnerships 
    [47:50] Chad’s Nomad Strategy
    [48:50] Unpacking Chad’s Experience With the Arbitrage Model
    [54:33] The Best Advice Chad Has to Share

    HOSTS
    Craig Curelop   
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
    📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze   

    Ali Garced
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/
    📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced 
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/
    🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/ 

    GUEST

    Chad Rocke
    💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadrockerealtorinvestor/
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/da_rock_22/ 
    🏘️ Work with Chad: https://www.thefiteam.com/team/chad-rocke/

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Episode 134 - Scaling Your Investments With Partnerships With Caleb Van Timmeren and Kyle Aho

    Episode 134 - Scaling Your Investments With Partnerships With Caleb Van Timmeren and Kyle Aho

    If you’re thinking of making the jump to investing, why do it alone when you can have a partner join you for the ride? In this week’s episode, our guests Caleb and Kyle are passionate about spreading the good news: you CAN leave your W2 and achieve financial independence without any formal training. In less than three years, they’ve accumulated 200 doors and built a highly diverse portfolio of units and mobile homes that allow them to live off investments and spend more time at home.

    Tune in for this episode full of practical advice and lessons from experience on flipping multi-family properties, taking on high-risk renovations, and expanding to the mobile home market. Caleb and Kyle are living proof that partnerships can help you tremendously grow your portfolio in a short amount of time. So if you’re truly committed to securing financial independence, this episode tells a great story about how two friends taught themselves how to analyze potential deals, how to strengthen and leverage local relationships in new markets, and why real estate investments are the surefire way to escape the rat race.

    PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
    [4:55] Caleb and Kyle’s Introduction To Financial Independence
    [7:40] Their First Deal In 2020
    [9:48] Revealing The Numbers Of The Deal
    [13:25] How To Make A Partnership Work
    [17:00] The Earning Potential Of Multi-Family Properties
    [21:20] Dealing With Risk Fears
    [24:25] What Dealbreakers Should You Take Seriously?
    [27:33] Must-Hear Advice For Investors Looking At Expensive Markets
    [29:35] Building Local Relationships In New Markets
    [31:16] How Caleb and Kyle Learned How To Analyze Deals
    [33:16] Getting Started With Mobile Homes
    [38:00] How To Actually Buy Mobile Home Deals
    [43:15] Roleplaying A Potential Sales Call
    [47:50] How Investing Helped Them Leave Their W2s
    [49:50] Caleb and Kyle’s Must-Read Books
    [50:45] Best Piece of Learned Advice

    Important Links:

    HOSTS  
     
    Craig Curelop  
    📸 IG:https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy 
    📘 Book:https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy 
    🏘️ Buy Real Estate:https://bit.ly/3V3QDze  
     
    Ali Garced
    📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/
    📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced
    💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/
    🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/

    GUESTS

    Fixer Yoopers
     📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/fixeryoopers 

    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
82 Ratings

82 Ratings

-andypriscilla ,

Great Podcast!

Such valuable information on this podcast. Everyone story is unique and different. Everyone journey is different and it’s awesome how they break everything down !! 10/10 podcast!

Jeremy Kitchen @REI_Funding ,

Give it a listen!

Craig and Zeona are awesome people, with a lot of knowledge to share on investing. Great guests, flow, and information into all things investing.
One of my favorite REI podcasts!

Jah Fisher ,

Househacking in a nutshell

Craig & Zeona do such a great job breaking down the why’s/how’s of househacking while remaining transparent about the risks involved. They personalize the show in an easily digestible way for their listeners to follow along which is a HUGE reason to why I love the show. I’ve reached out to Craig multiple times about questions I have regarding investing & he’s always happy to share his expertise. Invest2FI has helped my confidence in investing tremendously!

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